![Ladies Of Letters. Image shows from L to R: Vera Small (Anne Reid), Irene Spencer (Maureen Lipman). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions Ladies Of Letters. Image shows from L to R: Vera Small (Anne Reid), Irene Spencer (Maureen Lipman). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions](https://cdn.comedy.co.uk/images/library/comedies/300x200/l/ladies_of_letters.jpg)
Ladies Of Letters
- TV comedy drama / sitcom
- ITV3
- 2009 - 2010
- 20 episodes (2 series)
Comedy drama about two warring widows. Based on the books and BBC Radio 4 series of the same name. Stars Maureen Lipman, Anne Reid, Morag Siller, Daniel Crowder, Paul Chahidi and more.
![Ladies Of Letters. Image shows from L to R: Vera Small (Anne Reid), Irene Spencer (Maureen Lipman). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions Ladies Of Letters. Image shows from L to R: Vera Small (Anne Reid), Irene Spencer (Maureen Lipman). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions](https://cdn.comedy.co.uk/images/library/comedies/900x450/l/ladies_of_letters.jpg)
Key details
- Genres
- Comedy Drama, Sitcom
- Broadcast
- 2009 - 2010
- Channel
- ITV3
- Episodes
- 20 (2 series)
- Stars
- Maureen Lipman, Anne Reid, Morag Siller, Daniel Crowder, Paul Chahidi, Natasha Redhead, Lee Boardman, Jonathan Coy and more
- Writers
- Lou Wakefield and Carole Hayman
- Director
- John Henderson
- Producers
- Geoffrey Perkins, Matthew Francis, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise, Carole Hayman, Lou Wakefield, Philippa Catt and Rachel Alabaster
- Company
Gentle comedy drama about two very different widows who forge a friendship through letters. Based on the Radio 4 series of the same name.
Irene and Vera reveal their adventures to one another through letters, with each of them trying to outdo the other.
The two ladies first meet at Vera's daughter's wedding and begin a correspondence that, beneath a veneer of civility, hides a constant battle of one-upmanship as they regale each other with stories of blissful holidays, delicious recipes and grateful grandchildren.
In reality, both are lonely, taken for granted by their families and their correspondence is a lifeline for them: for all the unspoken animosity, they need each other.
In the first series Vera and Irene's friendship saw them through a variety of experiences, including a spot of man trouble, Irene's episode of amnesia, a stint behind bars on a prison ship for the pair of them, the revelation of Vera's son Howie's sexuality, and the threat of Vera's home being destroyed to make way for a bypass.
The second series picks up five years after Irene and Vera's doomed vacation. Having not spoken to each other in all that time, the erstwhile buddies are reunited at the funeral of Irene's one-time gentleman caller Bill, the man who almost ruined their fledgling friendship by subsequently flirting with Vera before dumping them both.
The ladies soon end up in some rather extreme situations. Irene finds herself living rough in the Australian outback after being rescued from a asylum by Vera's daughter Karen and trailer park thug Damon. Meanwhile Vera battles with social services for custody of her granddaughter Sabrina.
Ladies of Letters blends the comedic elements of the ladies' relationship with a hint of melancholy as we learn how the duo are both taken for granted by their families and loved ones. The series follow the ups and downs of their long-distance relationship as it occasionally becomes slightly fractious when one or other of them engages in too much one-upmanship.
Stream and download
Additional details
- Production
- Studio
- Picture
- Colour
Website links
- Official ITV Website
The official website for the show from ITV3. Features video clips, an interview with the writers, and more. - Official 'Ladies Of Letters' Website
The official website from the writers. Features information on the books, radio series and TV series. - IMDb
Broadcast details
- First broadcast
- Tuesday 3rd February 2009 at 10pm on ITV3
- Most recent repeats
-
- Monday 29th May 2023 at 12:35am on ITV3 - Series 2, Episode 10
- Monday 29th May 2023 at 12:05am on ITV3 - Series 2, Episode 9
- Monday 22nd May 2023 at 12:25am on ITV3 - Series 2, Episode 8